1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of three-dimensional printing (hereinafter referred to as “3D Printing”) and, in particular, to a pen for three-dimensional printing (hereinafter referred to as “3D printing pen”).
2. Description of the Related Art
A 3D printing pen is the latest innovative product that allows a 3D object to be drawn in space. A 3D pen can be used in many ways. Images or objects produced with a 3D pen can be created as flat forms that can be peeled from a piece of paper, as freestyle 3D objects, or as separate parts ready to be joined together. The creative opportunities are endless. In addition to manufacturing various ornamental designs, jewelry, etc., a 3D pen can be used for modeling, e.g., 3D prototyping.
Although 3D printing pens are relatively new products in the industry, some devices of this type are known in the art.
For example, Chinese Patent Application Publication CN103707511 (A) of Apr. 9, 2014 (inventor: Bao Huhe) describes a 3D printing pen that comprises a shell with an outlet nozzle on one end and a material-feeding opening on the other end. The material is fed through a feeding tube to the nozzle via an adjustable electric heater and is extruded through the orifice of the nozzle. In such a device the material can be supplied in the form of a viscous liquid (e.g., an oligomer) or in the form of solid matter. In the first case, the extruded material is cured when exiting the nozzle. In the second case the solid material melts by preheating and then returns to a pasty or solid state with the lapse of time after exiting the nozzle.
Chinese Utility Patent CN203449607 (U) of Feb. 26, 2014 (inventors: Haixiong, et al) describes a 3D printing pen that comprises a housing that contains a heating coil for heating a material which is fed through the feeding tube arranged along the housing and then extruded through the nozzle located on the side of the housing opposite the material inlet opening. The heating coil is located near the nozzle at the output end of the feeding tube. The device is provided with a sensor and a control circuit. The heating temperature is shown on a small display provided on the side of the housing.
Chinese Utility model CN203371791 (U) of Jan. 1, 2014 (inventor: Wenliang) discloses a 3D pen that comprises a printing pen body consisting of a shell and an internal hollow body, wherein the front end of the shell comprises a discharging nozzle and the rear end of the shell comprises a feeding port. The feeding port and the discharging nozzle are connected with a feeding channel arranged in the hollow body. The feeding channel is formed by connecting the feeding pipe at the tail part with the heating core at the front part. One end of the feeding pipe, which is close to the feeding port, is provided with a driving device in a linking manner. The driving device consists of a feeding control motor and a guiding wheel, which are linked. The space formed by the heating core and the shell is filled with insulated silica gel. A ventilating port is formed between the insulated silica gel and the shell in a blocking manner. The inner part of the hollow body also comprises a cooling fan, which communicates with the ventilating port. The 3D printing pen disclosed by the utility model has the advantage of a polymer material such as ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), which is preheated or cooled to a certain temperature and continuously discharged. The temperature of the material is constantly adjusted and maintained at a required level.
Chinese Utility Patent CN203357906 of Dec. 25, 2013 (inventors: (Feizuo, et al) discloses a 3D printing pen that comprises a housing, an outlet head with a nozzle, a heating cavity, a drive motor, a material-feeding pipe, and a control panel with control buttons wherein the outlet head, the heating cavity, the drive motor, the material-feeding pipe, the control panel, and the control buttons are arranged in the housing. The outlet head is located at the front end of the housing. The heating cavity is arranged at the rear end of the outlet head. The control panel is provided with a control module, a power supply module, a heating module, and a motor module.
Chinese Patent Application Publication CN103341975 (A) of Oct. 9, 2013 (inventors: Feizuo, et al) discloses a 3D printing pen which in its structure and function is similar to one described in one of the aforementioned publications.
It can be seen that all known 3D printing pens are based on the use of a thermal process for softening and melting of the material to be extruded through the nozzle of the 3D printing pen. In case of a polymer. heating provides thermal curing, which is achieved by arranging a heater, such as an electric heater, inside the housing of the device.